


Overheat

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Exhaustion, Fever, Heat Stroke, Illnesses, M/M, Pre-Slash, Rivalry, stubborn Innes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 18:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5259665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Innes of Frelia lets nothing keep him down. Not even a fever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Overheat

"Innes, are you okay?" Eirika asked for probably the tenth time since they'd fled the burning Jehanna Hall. As if he were the only one coughing from the smoke, out of breath, still feeling the heat of the barely-dodged flames and the desert's sun.

"I feel fine, Eirika, please don't worry about me." She didn't look like she believed him, but nodded anyway.

"I'm sorry there's little more we can do right now. We're powerless...all we have are the weapons and the supplies we carry until help arrives," she sighed. "And Queen Ismaire..." She trailed off, Saleh put a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed. "I know. I won't let her death be in vain..."

"Right now, all we can do is defend ourselves," Innes said, ignoring the prickly feeling at the pack of his neck, the slight ache in his head. "We'll stay in the shade, near the hall, and ward off the enemy as best we can."

"A wise plan, Prince Innes," Saleh said. "Help should arrive soon."

"Let's rest for a bit, then," Eirika suggested, and Innes tried not to take it personally. They were all hot and tired, after all. Rest was a practical idea, and once he had, he'd feel better. No reason for Eirika to believe anything was wrong.

 

Ephraim's company met up with them an hour into the battle, brief reunions were had and Innes didn't feel any more energized than he had before. By now he was sure he wasn't well, it didn't take a fool to realize it was more than just the desert heat taking its toll on him. And he was sure Eirika and the others were starting to notice. Eirika certainly suspected, and Moulder was a _healer_.

Not that that mattered. There was a battle to be fought, and he wasn't about to let a little fever slow him down. For once he was content to snipe the enemy from a safe vantage point, as Eirika had often suggested was most practical for a bowman.

"Innes, you don't need to take on so much by yourself. I can help." Innes groaned, and this time not from the exhaustion or the pounding in his head.

"I assume Eirika or Tana sent you over to check up on me," he said sharply. "Well, there's no need. I'm perfectly safe behind these dunes, and no enemy has escaped my vision." Though he was sure that wouldn't last; already Ephraim's face was blurring a bit. "Please go back to whoever you were aiding." Ephraim frowned and didn't make any move to leave, instead joining him behind the dunes and taking out a javelin.

"You don't have an endless supply of arrows," he said, and Innes fought back a sigh.

"Very well. If my presence eases you so, you may fight by my side." Ephraim only smiled, and the battle raged on.

 

Hours later, Valter the Moonstone and Callaech the Tiger-eye were dead, and so were the rest of their troops. Ephraim and Eirika led the way to a nearby fortress.

"It seems some introductions are in order," said a young woman with bright hair and a familiar face. "I am Princess L'Arachel, the jewel of the Rausten Theocracy!"

"Charmed," Innes said, though the words felt thick in his mouth. "Prince Innes of Frelia. And of course, I already know Prince Ephraim."

"My name is Eirika, Princess of Renais and Ephraim's sister," Eirika said. "Now that we're all together, perhaps it's time to compare-" She frowned. "Innes, are you sure you're well enough for this? It can wait." Ugh, of all the times for his headache to act up. By now he was sure he was actually sick, but if he could get through an hours-long battle without collapsing, he could handle this.

"Please continue," he said. But his legs felt weak and his vision was blurring and it was _just too hot_ in that fortress. "Ephraim, L'Arachel, you will tell us what you've..." Why was the ground spinning, he could barely hear what they were saying. "What you've learn..."

"Innes?"

He felt three pairs of arms catching him before he hit the floor.

 

He woke up hours later in the medical tent. Ephraim was sitting by his sleeping pallet.

"Ugh. Let me guess, you've been sitting here all evening, clutching my hand and praying for me to wake up?" Ephraim only smiled.

"Actually, I just got here five minutes ago. Moulder wouldn't let any of us stay while he treated you," he said. "Good to see the fever hasn't dulled your sarcasm, though. Because I _was_ worried." Innes groaned, rolling onto his side so he wouldn't have to see that smug, handsome smile.

"Well, I'm awake now."

"Good. Moulder said it was only a fever brought on by heat exhaustion, and that you should be perfectly well by tomorrow provided you rest," Ephraim said. "Which is why I'm here, to keep an eye on you!" _What?!_ Did the humiliation never end? Collapsing in front of the others, people probably fussing over him as they dragged his body to the medical tent, and now the man he worked so hard to best was here to babysit him?

"Who put you up to this? If it was Tana-"

"I'm _kidding,_ Innes," Ephraim laughed. "I came here on my own. You looked awful during that battle and I got worried. And no, I wasn't fretting and biting my nails and pacing the entire time, I know you're not so weak."

"Then you've no reason to sit with me. Go back to Eirika, I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do." Innes rolled onto his other side, back to where the pillow was cooler. He tried not to look at the other man, but his vision was clearer now and he could see the genuine concern on that face. "We have three healers."

"I'm not here to take care of you," Ephraim said. "I want to keep you company."

"I don't need your pity." His face felt warm and he wasn't sure it was from the fever. "Since when did you fuss over others' well-being anyway? Did you swap places with Eirika?"

"You think I don't care?" Ephraim actually looked mildly put off. "Honestly, Innes, the way you talk you'd think I was made of stone." He shook his head. "Odd as it may be for you to believe, I do consider you a friend."

"You..." He groaned, kicking the covers away. "Ephraim, since we were young, the basis for our relationship was competing to see which of us is stronger. Why would you want to sully that with...with..."

"There's no reason we can't be rivals _and_ friends." Ephraim moved closer, taking one of his hands, and Innes tensed. "I do care for you, Innes. I won't force you to let me, but at least let me do one nice thing for you."

"Ephraim..." But the exhaustion was setting in again, draining the fight from him. Maybe it was the weakness from the fever, but part of him was almost touched by this gesture, by Ephraim's words.

He closed his eyes, letting his hand relax in Ephraim's, and managed a tiny smile.

"Very well." A long silence. "...I suppose I should thank you."

Ephraim's fingers tightened around his, and Innes could still sense that handsome, insufferable smile even as he began to drift off to sleep.

"Your letting me be here is thanks enough."


End file.
